Attention, New Yorkers: It is yet again election season. I know—it seems like New Yorkers are asked to go to the polls almost every year, several times each year…and that is a correct assessment. This year, due to redistricting, New York’s primary day is June 27 and many districts have competitive elections to decide who will be their next City Council representative.
All elections are important, but oftentimes, voters only focus on and pay attention during the presidential election cycle. We know several Republican candidates have already declared they are running for the nomination from their party to face presumed Democratic nominee President Joe Biden. However, we must not forget that all politics is local and primary elections for City Council members are incredibly important ways we can exercise our rights as citizens and make our voices heard.
Indeed, many people do not think their vote matters. That is the farthest statement from the truth. Elected officials are in charge of billions of dollars of our tax money. They make decisions about everything from housing to education to policing to the environment to how we treat immigrants or the formerly incarcerated. Elected officials on the local and state level make decisions that will directly affect every single aspect of our lives. Therefore, if we do not participate in the electoral process, we are abdicating our duty to others and increasing the chance that someone who does not have our best interest (or our interest at all) gets into office.
If you are not already registered, it is probably too late to register for the June 27 primary elections, but you can still register yourself so you can participate in the general election in November. Since New York has closed primaries, you must be registered to a particular party to participate in primary elections. For example, if you live in a district where only Democratic candidates are running against one another in the primary and you are registered as an Independent, you will not be able to participate in the primary election next week. However, in the general election, your party affiliation does not prohibit you from participating.
The best resource to find out where your polling station is located, who is on your ballot, about candidates, and when and where to vote during early voting and on Election Day is www.whosontheballot.org. All you have to do is put in your address and you can find out everything you need to know about your ballot and polling station.
It is imperative that we exercise our right to vote. It was a hard-won struggle and we must remember why our elders risked and sometimes lost their lives for us to have this opportunity.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and the co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio.